Afstan: History put straight

A letter of mine in the Toronto Star today:

Mission was never about peacekeeping
March 06, 2007

Election's polarizing issue could be Afghanistan

Column, March 3.

Scott Reid writes that "this is Harper's war and he alone is responsible for our current predicament. It was his desire to eschew peacekeeping in favour of a more muscular combat focus."

In fact, this is what the chief of the defence staff, Gen. Rick Hillier, said in July 2005, about the mission at Kandahar – when Reid was communications director for then prime minister Paul Martin: "We are the Canadian Forces, and our job is to be able to kill people."

Hillier made it clear then that the new mission would be a combat one against insurgents, not about "peacekeeping."

Mark Collins, Ottawa

Selected for Spotlight on Military News and International Affairs "Canadian Commentary", and a Norman's Spectator LETTER OF THE DAY.